Dolores Park neighbors weigh in on partiers

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Earlier this month we reported that the ever-increasing number of revelers at Dolores Park -- and the ever-increasing amount of trash and noise they produce -- had spurred police to begin “educating” visitors about the ban on non-permitted alcohol in the park and had prompted the Recreation and Park Department had deployed an “emergency crew” of gardeners there.

On Wednesday night, several dozen Dolores Park neighbors met at the Dolores Park Church to talk about concerns about the park and its developing identity as a destination for people across the Bay Area.

Those at the meeting had varying feelings about it. Some looked to cool down the “Woodstock and Carnival-like” vibe the park has -- “I’d like to see more bike parking in the park, but fewer hipsters,” said one decidedly hip-looking neighbor -- while others admitted to partaking in the drinking that is illegal, but common, in the park.

After a substantial amount of kvetching about the woes of being a park neighbor -- late-night noise and drunk people using doorways as bathrooms -- and some disagreement about whether drinking should be tolerated, how frequent loud events should be allowed to take place and what role the police should play in the park -- organizer Gideon Kramer refocused the conversation on something everyone could get behind: cleaning up trash.

The group decided to name itself the Dolores Park Stewards and will meet this Sunday at 2 p.m. at the bell in the park, wearing white T-shirts and green arm bands and bearing trash-bags, to discuss the group’s next move and then cleanup the park.